Sen. Jackson Leads Passage of Senate Bill 76 through the Veterans, Military and Homeland Security Committee

ATLANTA (February 27, 2013) –Senator Lester Jackson (D-Savannah) recently led the passage of Senate Bill 76 out of the Senate Veterans Military and Homeland Security Committee. The legislation would create the Returning Veterans Task Force within the State Department of Veterans Services.

“As the son of a veteran and a former serviceman myself, I understand the unique challenges our hero’s face when they come home,” said Sen. Jackson. “Too many veterans are unemployed, homeless and living without the care they earned from their service to the United States of America. This task force will work to assist those in need by investigating better ways the state agencies can serve our veterans. These are Georgia heroes and they should be treated as such.”

If passed, the task force will meet at least quarterly to investigate how state services can be provided to veterans returning from military service in order to assist them in integrating into society. The task force will issue recommendations to each relevant state agency with improvements for the delivery of services to returning veterans. By November 1 of each year, the task force will transmit specific suggestions for legislation designed to assist returning veterans to the General Assembly and the Governor. This bi-partisan measure passed unanimously out of committee.

SB 76 will now move to the Senate Rules Committee for consideration to be heard on the Senate Floor.

Sen. Jackson, a longtime advocate of veteran affairs, has also championed such issues as healthcare expansion, education, and the deepening of the Savannah Harbor.